đź’ˇDone properly, cold exposure can have positive effects on your health and physical performance. In the following newsletter, I outline these benefits and provide insights on the optimal ways to experience them.
Safety
Avoid dangerous bodies of water and refrain from deliberate hyperventilation before or during cold water immersion. Begin with warmer temperatures and progress gradually to colder ones. Prioritise safety and find the temperature that suits you best. Consult a doctor if you’re unsure about your body’s current condition.
Find Your Why
I have always been someone who is obsessed with engaging in physical activities.
Always looking to push my physical boundaries no matter what it took. Often overlooking the recovery aspect of it.
Until of course, I got older and realised these things happening:
- Performance was hitting a plateau
- Recovery was taking longer
- Mindset & Perspectives were shifting
- Imbalance between Physical and Mental attributes
This triggered me to look for methods or tools to optimise the way I train.
I didn’t want to get stuck in the same comfortable routine that was not working for me anymore.
That’s where I looked into more scientific studies.
I knew the importance to take these into consideration. To be flexible and open to adapt.
Here are the recovery modalities that I looked into:
- Cold Exposure
- Sports Massage
- Active Recovery
In this Newsletter, I’ll be sharing about (drum roll)…
Cold Exposure – for performance and other mental benefits which I will be sharing below.
Climbing The Mental Obstacle – Making Excuses Not To Try
You may be thinking “Ugh, I hate the cold. Why do I have to force myself to do it. I can achieve similar results using other methods or tools”
Sure you can. But here’s how I thought about it:
Working towards almost any major goal requires a high intensity of effort and consistency.
Most people did not grow up wanting to go to the gym.
We all started with a goal that triggered us to take action.
The first step is to climb over that Mental Wall before we can see any results.
Then proving to ourselves that it is worthwhile.
Ever noticed for past experiences like going to school or starting your first day at work.
Some form of fear, anxiety of discomfort would come up.
But after a couple of weeks or months, something clicks and it’s a part of your habit and routine.
This concept applies to anything else that you’re trying out. In this case, exposing yourself to cold.
Why do some individuals continue to grow and love the new modality, while some fade off?
The ones that do not, are either not happy with the results they see for the time and effort they put in.
Or they think that there is no urgency to work on it right now.
Instead, waiting for a major triggering event that occurs (like a health scare) and forces them into trying it out.
If you are approaching Cold Exposure for the first time. The mind will operate in a similar way – giving resistance.
Just like your mindset towards the gym or a new uncomfortable activity. Once you climb that Mental Wall and see the results, your mind gets more accepting and resilient to the discomfort before.
You will notice a shift.
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown
Is This Worth The Time & Effort?
The first question that I asked myself when considering Cold Exposure.
“Apart from the fear of cold, would I do Cold Exposure?”
Answer – Yes, why not. I spend a total of about 11mins a week on it and I get all these benefits:
- Reduces the tendency of getting injured and muscle damage while optimising my performance
- Physical improvements in muscular power, endurance, volume
- Reduced muscular soreness (DOMS).
- Improves your mental focus, clarity, resilience and calmness under a state of stress.
- Improved immunity system
- Boosts in Dopamine
- as shown in a study called “Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures”
7 Tips To Help You Get Started On Cold Exposure
Assuming you’ve gotten over that first mental obstacle.
You probably still want make sure you’re optimising your routine.
Here are 7 tweaks to apply:
- Figure Out What Your Goal Is
- To optimise your recovery and performance, you must understand what times of day and durations work for your lifestyle. Tailor these to your goals. Do not do cold exposure right after a workout session if you are looking to gain:
- Strength
- Muscle Size (Hypertrophy)
- Best to avoid four hours immediately following your strength and/or hypertrophy training.
- Lifestyle Design: Make it part of a sustainable routine for you
- Find the pockets of time around your workout sessions that works for you sustainably.
- Avoid rushing as you will not fully benefit mentally from the session.
- Best to do it in the morning. Your body temperature is lowest in the morning, rises in the afternoon, then drops in the evening. If you take a cold shower or expose yourself to cold in the morning, it lets you raise your temperature for the day. This will help with wakefulness.
- It is not recommended to do cold exposure in the evening if you have problems sleeping as you want to avoid raising your core temperature before sleep.
- Choose Your “Poison” Common forms of deliberate cold exposure in order of proven results:
- Full body immersion up to the neck in a ice/cold pool
- Cold Showers
- Going outside with minimal clothing in cold weather.
- *I’ve excluded Cryotherapy as this may not be within the budget for most but also a good option.
- Fun Fact: Heat transfer from the body to water is 4 times more efficient than being outside and exposing skin to cold weather, hence immersing in cold water is better.
- Choose A Safe Temperature How cold should it get?
- As cold that it makes you feel uncomfortable but still MANAGEABLE and SAFE for you to stay in. Everyone has their own level of tolerance to build from, listen to your body. We all start somewhere, do not try and compare yourself to others. Remember why you’re doing it in the first place. Enjoy the journey instead. Having said that, to give you a rough gauge. Cold pool facilities usually start from 15degrees or lower.
- Practice Mindful Movement or Meditation Take your Cold Exposure routine to another level and add on a mindfulness practice.
- Paying attention to your breath and body. Notice your thought patterns from before. When you touch the cold water, fully submerge (to your neck) for 1 min. Observe the shift in emotions over time. Moving slowly during cold exposure also helps train your mind. This is because it reduces the thermal layer, providing the most potent stimulus. So if you want to improve your mental resilience, move! Focusing on your breath, take deep inhales and exhales. Do your best to keep calm.
- Alternate Between Hot & Cold (ending with Cold) By alternating between hot and cold, you are not only able to boost your metabolism, but also:
- Growth Hormones
- Cardiovascular Health
- Longevity
- You are constantly allowing your body to reset and react to more potent stimulus. This puts your body in a fight or flight mode (short term) to get added benefits later on.
- Let Yourself Shiver (for awhile)
- When your body shivers, it releases a molecule called succinate from the muscles. This activates brown fat thermogenesis. This helps keep your core body warm and increases metabolism. So think twice the next time you try to stop yourself from shivering. Instead, extend the limbs out if you have to, move and alternate between air-drying and getting back in the cold exposure. It’s actually good for you (for a duration that is safe for you, usually around 1-3minutes)
A Couple More Interesting “Good To Knows”
Sickness
A common question that gets asked is:
“Won’t I get sick from deliberate cold exposure?”
There are a lot of factors that could come into play, hygiene of the area, food you have eaten before or after, stress levels etc.
Nevertheless, you can do your best to prevent it:
- Limit to 5min per session
- Take progressive reduction in temperature, only handling what you can safely.
- Get warm after your cold exposure session
- A little bit of sniffle? – best not to risk it. But if you plan to ignore my advice, then at least make sure to listen to your body’s limits and get warm right after.If you are already sick – do NOT do it.
Immunity
Cold exposure also triggers immune cells due to release of adrenaline (epinephrine).
Consistent exposure for at least 3 times a week for 6 weeks will allow you to see improvement on areas like immune system markers.
However, if you push it too far in timing over one one session and you elevate it chronically, it can have an adverse effect instead.
Fasting
Cold exposure in a fasted state has a greater effect on increasing metabolism and resilience.
That is because our baseline levels of stressors (epinephrine and norepinephrine) are elevated at this state.
Palm Cooling
Keeping your palms cool inbetween sets for 1-2min can improve strength gains and endurance. It can also reduce DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).
There is a research study that shows over six weeks of pull-up training, palm cooling between sets improved volume by 144%.
In bench-press training, the one-repetition maximum (strength) increased 22% over 10 weeks.
It is going to be especially helpful if you want to push through plateaus.
This is something I am personally going to try for my next fitness tests.
Tip: You can use cold bottles to hold in each hand (not as cold as ice that it restricts your vessels)
Creativity & Mood
I notice an increase in insights and creative ideas arising during my session.
They start to reveal themselves when I incorporate a form of mindfulness or calmness during the sessions. Observe them for yourself if it happens.
I also feel fantastic after my sessions, positive and ready to start my day (I do it in the morning). So why not keep consistent with it.
Final Thoughts
Ask yourself if you are training for:
- Longevity
- Aesthetics
- Performance
Find a healthy balance if you resonate with all categories.
Don’t get too drawn into one area till you lose sight of your why.
Dig deep into yourself and ultimately choose something for your true happiness.
Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. – John Gill
I used to train for looks, to build confidence. But more so to get approval from others.
I realised the importance of focusing on my health instead, allowing me to rediscover my why for adopting certain practices and routines.
I reduced workout days and added recovery days. This gives my body the necessary rest it needs.
It keeps me from getting tired early in the day.
I feel more energetic throughout day, even after a workout. Yet still gain strength and size in a sustainable way for my body type.
Lastly, Cold Exposure is not a must-do recovery modality but more of a bonus.
Try it if you’re looking to top up your training routine to help with breaking through plateaus, fatigue, power, endurance, soreness and volume.
Take what you can apply from this post and use them for your own benefit. I hope it helps!
Lastly, I really appreciate you for taking the time to read my first newsletter. It took me over a month to get into the groove of writing, rewriting, researching, and finalising (kind of) what I want to share about.
I’m happy where I am right now. I sincerely hope you have found value in this, just as I have found immense fulfilment throughout this process.
If you truly found this helpful, please support me by sharing my newsletter with your family and friends who may resonate with topics related to Health and Self Development.
Thank you for reading.
I’ll see you in the next one!
Daryl
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